Christopher Jullien’s Celtic exit is possibly back on – it looks like it’s going to come down to how he gets on in a medical that if successful should take him back to France to play at Montpellier.
The £7m Celtic signing from Toulouse in July 2019 has been out of the picture at Celtic since injuring himself colliding with a goalpost on 30 December 2020 in a match against Dundee United at Celtic Park. Ange Postecoglou took over six months later and the French central defender was still sidelined and although he got one minutes against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup earlier this year the writing has been on the wall as far as Jullien’s time in the Hoops is concerned.
He did score in a pre-season friendly in Austria and was given some game-time in the friendlies against Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City at Celtic Park in July, coming off the bench in the latter stages of these matches but it was clear that Ange Postecoglou had other ideas for his central defenders and Jullien simply did not feature.
The arrival of Moritz Jenz from French side Lorient has pushed Jullien even further down the pecking order behind the German, Scotland Under 21 captain Stephen Welsh and of course last season’s preferred partnership of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt.
So the news from France, via a respected source in L’Equipe is good for all parties concerned, particularly Chris Jullien who had served Celtic very well, scoring some memorable goals for the Hoops including a winner against Lazio at Celtic Park in the Europa League and of course the only goal of the 2019 League Cup Final win over theRangers.
This evening L’Equipe reports on the imminent loan deal that will take Jullien to Montpellier, subject to passing a medical tomorrow.
“Transfers: Christopher Jullien almost in Montpellier. The French central defender of Celtic Glasgow should arrive this Tuesday in Montpellier for his medical examination. It will be important because he has not played for a year and a half,” L’Equipe reports.
Transferts : Christopher Jullien presque à Montpellier
Le défenseur central français du Celtic Glasgow devrait arriver ce mardi à Montpellier pour y passer sa visite médicale. Elle sera importante car il n’a pas joué depuis un an et demi https://t.co/3jXyKgT7lb pic.twitter.com/g8Sx3JhJPD
— L’ÉQUIPE (@lequipe) August 22, 2022
This evening’s news comes after his failed move to German team Schalke in June, after the player and the German club could not agree personal terms on a complicated deal. Jullien though will not want to remain ion Glasgow where there is little chance of game-time and the longer he is out of competitive football the more difficult it is going to be the get back into action.
Christopher Jullien has served Celtic well and it’s simply down to changing circumstances at the club and new manager with his own ideas on how the club should play its football and unfortunately the French defender doesn’t fit into those plans.
